books on history and tales

malleable

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i'd like to read an informative and entertaining book on billiards. i'm interested in the history/evolution of the game from its inception to the present, as well as the lore surrounding its places and players.

does anyone have some suggestions for me? here are that seem good from the descriptions. anyone read these or have others to offer?

Hustler Days: Minnesota Fats, Wimpy Lassiter, Jersey Red, and America's Great Age of Pool (R.A. Dyer)

Pool: History, Strategies, and Legends (Michael Ian Shamos)
 

Bob Jewett

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(Copied from a recent post in the main forum.)

Here is a list from a previous posting in rec.sport.billiard many years ago updated with some more recent titles.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

If you're tired of instruction, but crave something pool related,
you might want to check out the following. The biographical
and/or historical stuff is not entirely fiction, but I think much
of it qualifies. -- Bob

Byrne, "Great Pool Stories"
Walter Tevis, "The Hustler" and "Color of Money"
Dyer, "Hustler Days"
Dyer, "The Hustler and the Champ"
Byrne, "McGoorty"
Tom Fox and Fats, "The Bank Shot and Other Great Robberies"
McCumber, "Playing Off the Rail"
Grady, "Bet High, Kiss Low"
Mosconi and Cohen, "Willie's Game"
Grissim, "Billiards"
Stowers, "The Unsinkable Titanic Thompson"
Fels, "Legends of Pool"
Ricketts, "Walter Lindrum - Billiards Phenomenon"
Hoppe, "Thirty Years of Billiards"
"Brunswick: The Story of an American Company"
WW Woody, "Buddy Hall, Rags to Rifleman"
Thomas Fensch, "The Lions and the Lambs"
Joe Davis, "The Breaks Came My Way," autobiography
Ned Polsky, "Hustlers, Beats and Others"
Clive Everton, "The History of Snooker and Billiards"
Gordon Burn, "Pocket Money, Bad boys, business heads and boom time snooker"
Art Tully, "How to Hustle Your Friends at Pool"
Gerald E. Huber, "Green Felt Jungle"
Bob Henning, "Cornbread Red: Pool's Greatest Money Player"
Alex Higgins, "Alex, Through the Looking Glass"
Jon Bradshaw, "Fast Company"
Chris Rhys, "Snooker Disasters and Bizarre Records"
Mike Shamos, "The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards"
also: "Pool" and "Shooting Pool"
Stein and Rubino, "Billiard Encyclopedia"
Fred Walther, "Minnesota Fats, Never Behind the Eight Ball"
William Hendricks, "History of Billiards"
Peter Linhard, "How to Get By without Working"
Jay Helfert, "Pool Wars"
Freddy Bentivegna, "The GosPool of Bank Pool"
L. Jon Werthiem, "Running The Table"
Danny Diliberto/Jerry Forsyth, "The Road Player"
Alf Taylor, "The Other Side of the Road"
 

book collector

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If you enjoy the pool books about hustlers another book titled "The Crossroaders" by Daring is a good read.
It's more about cards and hustles.
 

Bob Jewett

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Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
(Copied from a recent post in the main forum.)

Here is a list from a previous posting in rec.sport.billiard many years ago updated with some more recent titles....

William Hendricks, "History of Billiards"
...
I have an extra copy of this book in very good condition for $40 including shipping. I think it is one of the best for pool history especially in the US.

Here's the cover:

Hendricks 001.jpg
 
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Bob Jewett

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dan bennicas

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bill

Back in the day Bill and I played many 3-cushion games whenever I visited St Louis at Cue and Cushion.He was a fine player and a very good musician also. I always played early evening with him then after that I would play with Harry Sims at his Airport Billiards I always had a great time playing with both and listening to their stories. Bill gave me a signed copy of his book and I enjoyed reading it over the years. Harry took me under his wings back then and I learned much about 3-c from him.They were both great guys !
 
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